Hingham police Sgt. David Horte said he’s looked through a century of records, in this state and others, and has not yet found an incident where a bystander has been injured by a bow hunter.

“It’s a very safe activity,” Horte, a hunter himself, told the commission.

He said most of the accidents are from hunters falling while getting in and out of deer stands, which are between 12 and 20 feet high in trees.

Frank Gaul of Hingham, who is also a hunter, said the longest shot he would attempt with a bow and arrow is about 75 feet. He said his elevated position gives him good visibility and the ability to distinguish deer from humans or other animals.

Under the regulations being considered by the commission, hunters would have to abide by state laws that prohibit hunting within 500 feet of any occupied building and 150 feet of a road. The local regulations would also prohibit stands within 150 feet of any designated walking trail.

Horte told the commission “bows and arrows are a very short-range weapon. It is quiet, so it doesn’t disturb neighbors.”

Town meeting voted earlier this year to allow bow hunting on conservation land under regulations approved by the commission.

Hunting with firearms is still prohibited, as is hunting in Wompatuck State Park.

The commission had allowed bow hunting from 2006 until 2012 in six conservation areas, but suspended hunting last year after discovering that town bylaws did not allow it. Bow hunting is seen as a way to control the growing deer population.

Conservation Commission Chairman Scott McIssac said his views on hunting have changed.

“It has become clear that it has a useful purpose,” McIssac said.

Hunters would be required to obtain a local permit along with their state license. They would also be required to spend at least two hours per year helping to maintain conservation lands.

The bow season for deer runs from late October through the end of the year.

Conservation officer Abby Piersall said there are still some questions to be decided, such as whether hunters who are unable to climb trees can hunt from a ground-level blind.

The commission will discuss the proposed regulations again at its Aug. 18 meeting, with a final decision expected at the Sept. 9 meeting.